Sarey looked at Allan with a questionable look and tried to figure out what was the deal with him. She sometimes forgets that Allan had no idea about common sense in this world of hers.
His body language and the motion of his head indicated that he was interested, regardless of her words.
Seeing him with that kind of attitude, Sarey at least explained a little. “It is about one of the unnamed soldiers of the distant conflict in the past. Alright? Nothing too fancy. He served as the common infantry, which later went on to the length of the captain. It was never stated the name of his family or even his regular name. People called him the Captain even with the long service he had. In about 10 years in the army, he accumulated enough merits to become a general, but he never left the field as the Captain.”
“It's a pretty interesting story, and I like it. I heard somewhere that it was because of the internal conflicts and the Tricloud Alliance declined a lot of his promotions. Even when he accomplished deeds unworthy of the rank of captain. His superiors were quite spineless and the displeasure of the army went with him as he became a spiritual leader of a few thousand men. It was quite a hectic situation back then. Is this to your satisfaction?” She explains a bit more.
“Of course. He sounds like a good soldier and human in general. What caused his name to be made into this town you speak of?” Allan asked in obvious curiosity, and even more, stories like this wouldn't hurt him.
“Well, there is nothing in particular. There were some more internal conflicts that the Captain hated and some people figure out his past before joining the army. That, however, wasn't figured by the general public. His origin was questionable, but for some reason, he supported a small kind of town. Back then, it had no name, and he sent most money through his service towards its development. Thanks to that, not many people starved and even businesses started forming. Mines, farms, and so on. Imagine what 10 years could mean to a city with a support of a single soldier? I absolutely love this story for this reason.”
“Is it a story or history?” Allan asked as he listened to everything that she had told.
“Is there a difference?”
“Stories can be sometimes exaggerated. History is finite and precise with research which went into it for a long period.” Allan explained his belief, but this wasn't met with Sarey, who thought otherwise.
“Sounds stupid to me. History is stories of the past that are then written as history. I don't completely disagree with your words, but certain stories are facts. That could be because of the number of people involved and official records which could be published as well.”
“Oh? That makes quite a bit of sense. I think so as well. One had to believe his own side of the story and take everything with a grain of doubt. Please, continue where you ended.” Allan was quite positive about her words and wanted to hear more. Unlike Sarey's intentions, she forgot about stopping and went with it.
“Doubts are for a coward. I am honest and that is for the best!” she said in great conviction, before continuing. “Where did I end? Oh, right! The reason he ended up as the named figure of this city? There were some situations where parts of that developing city were destroyed by fires. Many people went even missing because of strange reasons. At that time, the Captain massacred the involved people. They were later found to be undercover soldiers which served in the same army as him, but for a different general. Citizens of the town were kidnapped to be slaves or sold by some deals or whatnot. Many died because they fought back and the Captain figured out the truth of this matter much later. In this process of his wrath, he killed quite a few important figures of the Tricloud alliance at that time.”
“He killed people who killed what was important to him. What a good man.” Allan said with a little bit of understanding. It reminded him of his own hate he holds toward the Nation of the Dawn. It wasn't little at all.
Sarey's way of summarizing this story held his side of the past with it as well. Making it clear to him that what he wanted to accomplish could also end badly, or in a way, where he would kill too. However, he wasn't in the state of thinking that far, or in the way where his mind would be ready for that.
“Did he get punished for it?” Allan asked since this must have been quite an ordeal to achieve. It's military, after all. It was quite an important piece of the nations, politics, and even for the Tricloud alliance, which has Three schools.
Sarey sighed upon hearing this question.
“He was executed, upon his own violation to the public. Surrendering himself to the leaders of the alliance was about his end. He chose to uphold the justice he believed in, but it all went into the void. Even when his story went public, not many people protested for some reason. That was the side of the story that even I don't know. He killed people who should have not been killed, I suppose.”
“Bunch of hypocrisy. Did those people think that the citizen's life is less than theirs?” Allan angrily shouts in much agitation and surprised Sarey a little.
Noticing his anger, she knew how his feelings go with that. “Of course they did. In this manner went the naming of this town afterward. Citizens and soldiers who never forgot Captain's life took the part in the process of that mess. He wasn't alone to act against the Alliance, of course. Some of those people weren't blamed for the actions of their leader, so some chose to forget that matter bitterly. Others supported his life and work and placed the belief of their leader above theirs. Supporting the Griontesse city from far away, or from the insides. It is a kind, yet a tragic piece of history, and a story which I very much adore.”
“It is very interesting. Thanks for telling me a little bit about the history of what went through this region. Why that name though?”
“No problem. As for that name? I think it's something of a nickname. He wasn't known to be a rigid man, and some stories of his grinning face were well known. Someone made that up, or it was his family name or even his own. I don't know as it's not important anyway!” she slammed the table with her both palms.
“What about telling me some kind of story from your world as well? In return for my story.” Sarey tried to make him talk. This brief exchange led her to find the right opportunity to ask. She almost slapped her forehead for not thinking of this earlier.
“Story? I am not as good a storyteller as you.” Allan excuses himself as quickly as she asked.
“Why not? How about the situations before your last memories before waking up in this world? I am interested, and it could be quite therapeutic for you.”
“Uh... That?” Allan reluctantly thought as he was always hesitant to talk about it. Alas, he can't make up excuses for her, or even himself. Deciding to stop that, he nodded. “Alright. I will tell you some important things for some meetings, and the situation of my... story I suppose is the right word. There was also a being I met in those moments which I still can't believe existed.” Allan decided, and Sarey listened with keen interest while watching his face.
“Let's go with the start when the North attacked my city. Horns sounded in a wild manner around the city's perimeter, and I was shocked by fear. It was a kind of sound that was feared by the recollections of some people who heard it before the massacre from the North. Whenever they attacked cities or villages, the Northern Tribes would make that notice before the destruction of their target.”
“Sounds awful. Those people of the North must have been quite savages to use horns for the call of war.” Sarey added and was already engrossed in his storytelling.
“Yes. Pretty much. North is known for its harsh weather and cold atmosphere throughout the whole 4 seasons. They are people who grew their tribes and the strongest kind acts like a leader of the North. Like some kind of nation in that kind of cold place. They are believed to be one of the toughest kinds of people.”
“Sounds like nothing that I know about the north part of the continent here. Northern sides on our continent are somewhat mild of the heat, but still bearable in the winters.” Sarey briefly explained.
Nodding and remembering her word, Allan continued. “Let me continue after the sounds of horns. There was a sudden fear within me and I completely panicked. Fear enveloped my mind, and I wanted to run away as fast as I could.”
“What about your father?” Surrey asked in anxiety.
“He was out. Unable to get to me.” Allan bitterly said. Not saying every detail he knew, but at least a part of them to get it out of his chest.
“It was afterward when I was preparing my stash for survival. I've heard the footsteps and clutter of pushed doors. One of the northern people entered my home.”
“Oh! What did you do? Did you run away?” Sarey once again jumped to his words. She was completely immersed in Allan's story. She even forgot about what she wanted to ask herself, and even the previous Allan's statement that he was bad at telling stories.
“I was on the second floor. For some reason or another, I looked down through the open stairs, and down there was not my father or anyone I knew. It was a savage man with a furious face and a muscular body in furred clothes. I panicked as we've seen each other at that moment, or it was the crack of the wood as I stepped back? I don't remember that time very well. He grinned as I backed away into the second floor, where I stumbled around the corner. Summoning the little bit of courage I had, I pulled this from my pocket.” Allan pulled a flying knife from his pocket as if he was recalling a moment from the past.
Sarey was silent this time. Listening and watching the language of Allan and his body.
“I went through the corner and tossed it at him as he leisurely walked to the second floor. The knife penetrated right into his head and he dropped dead down onto the first floor.” Allan told and by this, he pointed with his finger to his forehead.
“I am not sure if this is the knife that took the life of that man, but I will never forget that grin of that man. The fear I felt even as I walked down across his body is still in my memory.”
“Y-you killed him?” Sarey finally let out a few words, which surprised even herself. She never thought the history of his story was like that at all. This was a true war, and he was a kid.
“I did, and I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Allan said in a surprising amount of cold conviction.
“The thing which occurred afterward is the true beginning of the reason for this story what I am telling you. Right as I wanted to flee at the moment, a glimpse of the beastly eyes were looking at me through a window right at me. I felt a different kind of fear. Maybe even greater from it than anything in my life in the past.”
“But it only watched me in the silence. I backed away since I just killed that man. So, I fleet back to the second floor to see a better opportunity for survival. There came another shock where the eyes that looked at me revealed themselves in the shape of a wolf's nose and bloodied fangs right into the inside on the second floor.” Allan skipped some parts of his unsuccessful tries, and went right to his point.
“W-wolf? What kind of wolf?”
“Indeed, a wolf, but an absolutely gargantuan kind of wolf that was bigger than the one-story shop in the regular shop district. He even reached the second floor without trouble and asked me whether I was the son of my father. Of course, I was. I answered with a little shock.”
“Wait. Wait. It talked to you as it attacked you in the room?” Sarey suddenly asked. Not getting the whole picture in her head, she couldn't imagine it, as Allan explained.
“He never attacked me, but yes. He talked to me in a common language I could understand. I never discovered the true reason for everything that occurred on that day, but this beast of a wolf helped me escape from the city. It was long enveloped in the sight of blood and war. Citizens were dying with no second thought behind it. City of Dawn and Northern nation in hand, they butchered my home and I couldn't do a thing.” Allan told his honest feelings from the past. Gritting the flying knife in his hand and speech filled with anger. Both aimed for himself, and the things that caused the mayhem in his city.
Sarey was momentarily left speechless as she watched the helplessness, frustration, sadness, and anger on his face. It was a long time since the last time she had to think of some words that could ease someone who was like this. When she heard Allan say things he did, like killing that man, her heart tightened, as she never did so herself before.
This whole situation sounded like a nightmare of helplessness. The kind that would be rather kept untold, but she already made him talk, so there was no coming back from this. She only kept watching, listening to Allan's story that she made him reveal. She was both, captivated and apprehensive of the ways he told everything with emotions.
Allan kept some things untold. Cutting the last moments with Thomas or the thing he did before the escape. It was the kind of memory that only he could understand, and retelling them wasn't needed.
“As we were fleeing, I sat on his thick fur. It was a warm kind of fur which let me grab the beast's back. It had also some strange density and hardness too. I rode him for a long time on through the mountain range into the middle parts of the Grusha kingdom. I wanted to escape the war and get to the capital city.”
“It was at that moment when I learned the name of the beast. He was a kind and apprehensive wolf named Skoll. He sounded very nice and the atmosphere around him was strange as well. I can't really explain it with words alone.”
“Was it a beast outside of your world?” Sarey asked in curiosity.
“Could be. I don't know where Skoll came from. He told me some deal with my father, but that was about it. It was... something else that was outside of... Well... He wasn't willing to tell me much. I heard some information about wolfs and bears of humongous statues in the northern parts of my continent, but nothing like a 5-meter tall wolf of incredible stature. It felt like we flew through the mountain range and nothing obscured his path as we fled.” Allan explained further with great courage in his recalling.